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| - In the episode, "The Father, the Son and the Holy Guest Star", Springfield's only known pastor, Reverend Timothy Lovejoy, states that his church (and that of the majority of Springfielders) is actually part of "The Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism". This episode also makes a Unitarian reference when Homer Simpson asks if he needs to "wail on a few Unitarians" to become Catholic. Many of the characters in the show are negatively neutral to openly hostile toward Unitarianism. Another example of this would include Reverend Lovejoy offering the Simpson kids a bowl of Unitarian ice cream at a church social function. When Lisa remarks that the bowl is empty, Reverend Lovejoy indicates that that is the point.
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| abstract
| - In the episode, "The Father, the Son and the Holy Guest Star", Springfield's only known pastor, Reverend Timothy Lovejoy, states that his church (and that of the majority of Springfielders) is actually part of "The Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism". This episode also makes a Unitarian reference when Homer Simpson asks if he needs to "wail on a few Unitarians" to become Catholic. Many of the characters in the show are negatively neutral to openly hostile toward Unitarianism. Another example of this would include Reverend Lovejoy offering the Simpson kids a bowl of Unitarian ice cream at a church social function. When Lisa remarks that the bowl is empty, Reverend Lovejoy indicates that that is the point. The most religious characters on the show are Ned Flanders and Reverend Lovejoy. Flanders appears to be conservative Christian and appears to express little tolerance to other faiths and sexualities (mostly pagans, Jews, Hindus and homosexuals), claiming they are all hedonistic, and those who follow said beliefs will go to Hell. Lovejoy seems to resent the fact that the Doctor Julius Hibbert's family joined the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Springfield, while Ned tells Apu, who is a Hindu, that he might as well be praying to Hawkman. In one of the episodes, the Hindu god Vishnu is shown as sitting in the center of the earth and controlling the world with a whole lot of levers. There are also numerous references to the Hindu god Ganesh, mostly by Homer when interacting with Apu. In another episode, Rev. Lovejoy says to Ned Flanders, during an annoying phone call: "Ned, have you considered any of the other major religions? They're all pretty much the same." Excluding the odd reference by Kent Brockman to "churches, synagogues and mosques," condemning Krusty the Clown for corrupting the young in one episode, the religion of Islam or Muslim characters were not featured heavily in the series until the episode "Mypods and Boomsticks.". However, in the episode "Marge Simpson in: 'Screaming Yellow Honkers'", Homer proclaims, "I'm gonna die! Jesus, Allah, Buddha, I love you all!" when fearing for his life. In "The Seven-Beer Snitch", the Simpsons go to see "Song of Shelbyville". There is a lyric in the main song which says that Shelbyville is home to Christians, Muslims, and Jews "although not many of the last two". This makes a Rabbi and an Imam in attendance feel uncomfortable. The episode "Grift of the Magi" has Krusty touched upon all religions by saying, "So, have a merry Christmas, happy Chanukah, kwazy Kwanza, a tip-top Tet, and a solemn, dignified Ramadan." Also, in The Simpsons Movie, when Rod asks Ned if Buddha will be with Jesus in Heaven, Ned angrily says no. Ned is implied to hate Judaism.
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